Communication Channels

There are six principal communication channels for members of the DICOM Community. Each will be discussed in turn. The six channels are:

  1. Announcements from NEMA (the DICOM Secretariat)
  2. DICOM Web Page
  3. File Transfer Protocol (ftp) for exchange of documents
  4. Listservs for discussions over the Internet
  5. Teleconferences
  6. WebEx Enhanced Conference Calls

Announcements from the DICOM Secretariat

From time to time NEMA, DICOM’s secretariat, will send out an announcement via e-mail. As a general rule, these are addressed to one or more specific groups and include the letters “Ann” in the address. Thus, if you see DICOM_WG-10_Ann (Email) in the “TO Box,” you know that it is an announcement for members and observers of WG-10. Such announcements are one-way communications. Do not reply to announcements. Any replies will disappear into the ether. If you have comments or questions, direct them to the group’s secretary or chair.

DICOM Web Page

The DICOM Web Page (http://medical.nema.org) is a publicly accessible space used for storing and disseminating a vast amount of information. Here, you will find:

·  DICOM’s current Strategy and contacts for each of the working groups

·  Minutes of previous meetings

·  Copies of presentations and demonstrations

·  Procedures (operating rules) of the DICOM Standards Committee

·  Schedule of future meetings

·  Other useful data, documents and links

All of the information on this web page is available for downloading. However, only NEMA staff and one or two volunteers have authority to post items to the site.

File Transfer Protocol (ftp) for Exchange of Documents

Two file transfer servers (one private and one pubic) are available for disseminating documents that are too large for routine e-mail transactions. The most frequently used server is for sharing documents that are not, yet, ready for public release. Nearly all working groups have a site on NEMA’s private ftp server. Upon joining the DICOM Standards Committee or being appointed to a working group, you will learn the appropriate username, password and path to the sites relevant for your particular interests.

If you do not have an ftp client program, you can find free ones at http://www.ftpplanet.com/, or http://www.ipswitch.com/, and other similar sites.

Everyone with the appropriate username and password is authorized to post documents to the server and to download them, but you will not be able to change documents that are already on the server.

Listservs for Discussion over the Internet

Listservs are especially helpful in conducting e-mail discussions among members of a working group. The fact that every message goes to every member is both a blessing and a curse. If you send a statement about some issue to the listserv, it will automatically be forwarded to each person on the list. If they respond by clicking on the Reply button of their e-mail program, that response will also go to each member of the group -- a very useful feature, unless the response was something trivial like "Thanks, Charlie" that adds to the pile of spam already present in everyone's IN box. To send a message via the listserv, place the address (e.g., ) in the TO box of your e-mail client program. Why not create an address entry right now for each working group to which you belong?

NEMA staff will automatically add your name and e-mail address to each working group with which you are associated. NEMA’s Listserv will reject messages from anyone who is not a member of the group to which the message was sent.

Teleconferences

Teleconferences may be announced by the secretary of a working group or by its chair. Just dial in as instructed in the announcement and identify yourself when connected. Please try to be prompt. Calling in late always disrupts the flow of the discussion. On the other hand, if you call in too early, you may get disconnected by the server and have to dial again.

Remember the primary rule of etiquette for conference calls – only one speaker at a time.

WebEx-Enhanced Conference Calls

WebEx is a commercial hosting organization for conference calls enhanced by shared computer files. They provide an effective way for a group of people to look at, comment upon, edit and further revise a document. You need a computer with a web browser and a telephone (preferably one that can be used hands-free). Instructions will be provided whenever such a meeting is planned.

Last update: 2004-02-02